1. Islamabad United has been the best side in the power play overs, this season they have scored 57.3 on average in the first 6 overs, the league average is 49.4 runs. Islamabad have been better than the average side.
Islamabad are winning the power play with the sheer volume of runs they score, but there is a risk to all these quick runs Islamabad United score in the first 6 overs, they on average have lost 2.7 wickets in the first 6 overs. The average side loses 1.6 wickets. So Islamabad United do quick scorely but it comes at a cost of those 3 wickets, in 3 games this season Islamabad has lost 8 wickets. The most for any side this season.
Today’s match saw Islamabad United score 47 runs in the powerplay, but that came at the cost of 3 wickets. Islamabad United do have one part of the scoreboard on their side, but the loss of wickets isn’t ideal for them and today it came to haunt them.
2. Alex Hales has been a top performer in the PSL, prior to today’s game he has an average of 34 in the PSL and has scored them at 8.5 runs per over. When Hales was traded back to Islamabad United, the brief was simple, he had to get those quick starts for Islamabad United, the side has a deep batting order in case of a collapse but his job would be to get the quick starts which was something Luke Ronchi has been doing consistently for United.
With Ronchi not part of Islamabad United in PSL 6, Hales was brought in to do this exact job and he has done that job well, in his 3 games he has an average of 38.67 at 10.25 runs per over, that’s the quickstart Islamabad United have been accustomed to and with Hales in the side those starts are still coming.
3. Last game Islamabad broke the back of the chase in the powerplay, so today when they are defending 119 runs, Islamabad would need a start where they completely close off the run scoring in the first few overs and pick some wickets as well.
Islamabad picked 2 wicket in the first 2 overs, while conceding only 6 runs, Zalmi were on the backfoot and one more wicket here could have seen the Peshawar side press the panic button.
Islamabad have been one of the good sides in the powerplay with the ball, conceding just 5.44 runs per over, the best in the PSL but the lack of wickets is a bit concerning before today’s game they picked only one wicket. Batting sides wouldn’t mind keeping wickets in hand at a loss of a few runs if they can launch later in the innings.
Islamabad United’s powerplay of 26/2 was a good one, a start which would have been ideal if they had a sizeable total to defend, but today was not the case but this is the model Islamabad should be looking to achieve with the ball in the powerplay overs.
4. Shadab Khan had a woeful game in the last outing, going for 32 runs in his 2 overs. But today he made a strong comeback, going for just 23 runs in his 4 overs.
Today’s bowling performance will not be highlighted given how the rest of the game panned out for Islamabad, but Shadab had better control with the ball today, his ability to hit the right spots, kept varying the pace and the line ensuring that the batsmen were cramped for room.
Islamabad United might not have got the desired results in today’s game, but Shadab Khan’s bowling is a silver lining for the side.
5. Haider Ali is unreal. The man has been in some top form this season, first scoring 24 runs in 8 balls to ice a chase against Multan Sultans and in the game against QG guiding the chase with 50 runs in 29 balls.
Haider Ali continued his good form and he did it with some big hitting, scoring 36 runs in 18 balls at 12 runs an over. Haider’s best quality are his attacking shots, he has always managed to play those shots with minimum risks and maximum rewards. Today it was on display. Islamabad United could have still been in with a chance, but he came out and just took the game away in a space of few balls.
Haider Ali is freak of a batsman, he is slowly but surely laying his claim to being one of the best T20 batsmen Pakistan has.
6. Hasan Ali started off with a wicket in the first over and in his final over got rid of Haider Ali, when the game was all but over.
Hasan’s figures of 2/14 in 4 overs was the highlight of the bowling performances from Islamabad United today, he got the ball to swing, made scoring nearly impossible for the batsmen in the powerplay overs and he was aggressive even with his words.
It was a tough loss to swallow for United, but there have been some positives the side could take away from this game ahead of their next match.